NCCALL, Inc.   

Meet Our Treasurer and Parent Advocate................

Meet Our Treasurer:
Hello, my name is Joan, and Zak Bazzel is my Autistic son. My husband Mike and I understand Zak better than anyone. We know his strengths and weaknesses, and can predict his actions and reactions. His preferences are simple, and he performs best with routines and within a structured environment. We realize that we will not always be here for Zak to rely on, so we feel the need to make plans for his future. Unfortunately, most of the options we've researched are either not acceptable or unavailable. There are thousands of persons with Autism facing the same predicament as Zak, and as their numbers drastically increase, their opportunities remain stagnant.

The Mission of NCCALL is to provide an appropriate living and working environment for persons who face the challenge of Autism. As a parent/advocate and self-employed career artist, I embrace the NCCALL idea of marketing the creative talents of people like Zak to provide meaningful work and supplemental income for their living situations. I have successfully marketed Zak's work, so I know this is an attainable goal. I am committed to this goal, and to the vision of NCCALL. I have served on the boards of non-profit organizations for the arts, as well as one dedicated to Autism. In 2003 I participated in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield symposium for non-profit board management. Because of my past board involvement, I have a cumulative knowledge of how an effective board should work, and I will bring these experiences to the board table for NCCALL, Inc.